Putin may formally annex Ukrainian territories on Friday | First Thing

UK Ministry of Defence says Putin may unveil accession of occupied regions' after referendums. Plus, welcome to pumpkin spice season

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Good morning.

Vladimir Putin is scheduled to address both houses of Russian parliament on Friday 30 September, and may use the address to formally announce the accession of Russian occupied territories of Ukraine into Russia, the British Ministry of Defence has said in its latest intelligence update:

What else is happening? Japan has summoned Russia's ambassador in Tokyo after a Japanese diplomat was blindfolded and physically restrained during an interrogation in Vladivostok.

Why are so many men trying to leave Russia? Since Putin announced Russia's first mobilisation since the second world war last Wednesday, some men were scrambling to find a way to leave Russia, spurred by reports that some conscripts were being sent directly to the frontlines without training. Some Russians have paid 25,000 for seats on private planes.

Didn't we already know about the texts? Though most of the texts sent to and from Meadows that Riggleman includes have been public for months, the book offers new insight and fills some gaps about how all three branches of government were seemingly involved in strategizing ways to obstruct the congressional certification on January 6.